We have today welcomed news that the withdrawal of Priadel, a brand of lithium taken by people with bipolar disorder, will be paused while the Competition and Markets Authority investigates.
This follows our joint letter with patient groups and professional bodies calling on Health Secretary Matt Hancock to intervene to ensure Priadel remains available to treat patients in the UK and to avert a huge increase in price the NHS pays for the drug.
The CMA highlights the joint letter about concerns that switching bipolar medication can be a difficult process for patients and may cause health complications, as well as significantly raising costs.
Sandra Gidley, President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said:
“The thousands of people who rely on Priadel will welcome the news that the Government and CMA have listened to our concerns about the need to maintain patient access to this vital medicine.
“The Government and manufacturer must now work together to ensure this temporary pause in the withdrawal leads to a long-term solution. We must prevent companies from exploiting the system in future to support patient care and the NHS.”
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